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Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate, Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker (Fred Griffin Real Estate)

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Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I have a freezer in my camper that runs on a solar panel, does a great job.

In my opinion the lp models are too expensive and problematic, old technology that has been replaced with better low wattage models that run on solar or wind power.

Jul 17, 2022 04:41 PM
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Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

This gal has got nuttin Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

Parked and Reading.  I may need to get a back in preparation for the CA blackouts! 

Jul 17, 2022 03:57 PM
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND
Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

Well you nailed it when you said RV as far as my own personal experience Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate BUT there are still a few towns in North Dakota that I know LP is popular in due to no natural gas service. They also have LP heating. While it's unusual, even in ND, I have never heard of any owners complaining about it. It can also be popular in lake homes where people KNOW they have turned the gas off when they are not there. LAST of all some folks really watch which form of energy is cheapest and they flip back and forth between them.

Jul 17, 2022 03:00 PM
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Peter Mohylsky, Beach Expert
PMI. Destin - Miramar Beach, FL
Call me at 850-517-7098

I had o;e, frig in my rv.  It seemed to work ok.  Had an electricity back up.  So we used the Llp mode infrequently.

Jul 17, 2022 01:20 PM
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Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Hmm, I am not much of a camper so I can't say that I have any experience.  My range and dryer are both gas-powered and they seem to work well though.

Jul 18, 2022 04:40 AM
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Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

Good luck!  Search Will Prowse on youtube, he's got some great solar stuff and the related videos go down some great rabbit holes that may help you.  If solar is an option, there are some ways to do it a lot more cost effectively than what sunrun/tesla/etc. will sell you.  LiFePo4 batteries, MPPT chargers, etc.  Seen some where they have an input where they can charge the batteries from a regular generator if they don't have enough sun.

I'd personally be more concerned about what happens if the LP runs out and the filling company can't get there.  Solar with an electric fridge may be your better option.

Either way, you should look into EMP shielding for all the critical electronics as well as your solar setup.  You know, just in case.  Good chances of solar flares this week.  Probably not enough to take out the grid, but enough to potentially cause some problems with communications systems.

Jul 17, 2022 09:45 PM
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Caroline Gerardo
Licensed in 20 states - Newport Beach, CA
C. G. Barbeau the Loan Lady nmls 324982

I own a full sized propane refrigerator/ freezer and a freezer. They are manufactured best by Mennonite persons in PA and the Midwest. I only had solar and propane on the ranch. Solar was not enough power to keep the refrigerator year round.

DIAMOND, EZ-FREEZE, and DOMETIC are all ammonia absorption systems that run off of propane. They are expensive and heavy. They last forever but generally are not defrosting that you may be accustomed. CONSUL, and DANBY are made in Brazil and getting the simplest part is a nightmare. Even the light bulb is custom.

 

Call me if you need more details about living off grid. Happy to share things like satellite dish, critter control, and gardening.

Jul 17, 2022 08:35 PM
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Steve Higgins
RE/MAX Kelowna - Kelowna, BC

Sorry Fred I don't know anything about them but curious about the answers.

Jul 17, 2022 07:04 PM
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Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

I don't know Fred.  When you say 'off the grid' was will you be using it for and how big of a kitchen are you wanting?

Jul 17, 2022 04:57 PM
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Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

Lets find out Fred

Jul 17, 2022 12:48 PM
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Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Fred, would know nothing about off the grid refrigerators, but reading what everyone else has to say.

Jul 18, 2022 06:30 AM
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Doug Dawes
Keller Williams Evolution - 447 Boston Street, Suite #5, Topsfield, MA - Topsfield, MA
Your Personal Realtor®

Never used one. 

Jul 18, 2022 08:33 AM
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Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

I'm not familiar with those. If you forget to have your LP tank filled you could be in trouble.

Jul 18, 2022 06:49 AM
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Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

This city boy is clueless. I grew up on electricity and no experience with off the grid.

Jul 18, 2022 05:48 AM
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Diana Zaccaro Broker Associate
ZOOM Realty Group - Cocoa Beach, FL
"The Accidental Blogger" Cocoa Beach, Florida

I can't comment on refrigerators or freezers but when my parents built their house in FL back in the early 80s, natural gas was not an option so they had LP for the stove and water heater. There was never a problem with it so I would think it would work well for a fridge or freezer. 

Jul 18, 2022 10:58 AM
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Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

No experience to share. It is interesting to read about the solar powered options.

Jul 18, 2022 08:07 AM
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Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Didn't even know they made those things! 16sq feet is a dinky refrig if you ask me.

Jul 18, 2022 07:22 AM
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Don Baker
Lane Realty - Eatonton, GA
Lake Sinclair Specialist

Nope, I would do solar with batter back up because propane prices can eat you alive.  We just converted to electric heat vs. propane.

Jul 19, 2022 07:57 AM
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Hella M. Rothwell, Broker/Realtor®
Carmel by the Sea, CA
Rothwell Realty Inc. CA#01968433 Carmel-by-the-Sea

With a generator, I know of LP for range and tankless hot water, so why not add fridge and washer/dryer as well if you are off the grid.  Just get enough tanks to last for awhile.  But to save LP you might want to get solar power for electricity. 

Jul 18, 2022 12:25 PM
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Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Just switched to a heat pump to get away from propane for everything except our dual fuel generator in a power outage.

Jul 20, 2022 08:19 PM
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Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

     Leased land remote hunting camps and off grid older survival retreats often still have a gas refrigerator from Indiana. Servel made them and like the Timex, they take a lickin' and still keep tickin' Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate . Argentina is the largest importer of gas refrigerators and many come from Spain. 

     With 3 bath home set up like you indicated to Anna Banana Kruchten CRS, Phoenix Broker ... if there are teenagers.. prepare for lots of open the door, peer in and go into a coma ... over and over which will waste gas. Build the place on a farm spread... have a milk cow so you have fresh, straight out of the cow... kept in a water cooler but consumption inline with daily production from old Bessie.

     Chickens for fresh farm to table eggs that did not come from a factory farm many miles away from who knows where. Root cellar but better make the spread where you can keep it 37 degrees naturally. (Hint - Maine) Make a game of simple living before someone trips over the power cord and now what do we do happens if that's your worry.

Jul 20, 2022 02:23 AM